San Francisco Giants pick Barry Zito for Game 4 start

CINCINNATI -- San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced Monday that Barry Zito will start Game 4, if the team is able to avoid elimination in Tuesday night's Game 3.

Bochy said Zito, who didn't make the postseason roster in 2010, "earned this."

Zito was 15-8 with a 4.15 ERA in the regular season and had a 3.03 ERA in September. The Giants won his final 11 starts.

"You look at how we've played the last 11 games he's pitched," Bochy said. "Barry has won some big games for us."

Bochy said he briefly considered bringing Matt Cain back on short rest, but the move has had mostly poor results with MLB pitchers. Tim Lincecum was not an option, having been told before the series that he would be pitching out of the bullpen.

Lincecum is available as a reliever for Game 3 and any games beyond that, if the Giants are able to prolong the series. They trail 2-0 after two home games.